One love
by Linneagb
Summary: From Millie and Marley's POV during and after the shooting at McKinley. Weaved in with their story together, and the story of a certain José "Joshua" Delgado. Alternative title no way out


**Well, I saw the "shooting star" episode, and I think it sucks that we never got to see the reuniting between Millie and Marley Rose, and then I had this idea, and another one, and another one, and another one… This has some mentions of things that goes with Christian religion and no I don't know if Marley's Christian, and if you don't like it- don't read it. **

**The cover is a pic I found on google of Melissa Benoist and Trisha Rae Stahl, AKA Marley and Millie Rose. It's put a frame on it, gotten in the right size and put text on with a few apps on my phone. **

**Millie POV **

BOOM

A gunshot echoes through the halls at William McKinley High School. Once, twice, I look up from the board I´m cutting vegetables on already when the first is heard. Then I hear people screaming and running, without thinking I rush towards the door. Marley- I gotta get to Marley. But before I've reached it my colleague Joshua throws himself at the door and locks it.

"No Millie," he almost whispers with his Spanish accent. "You can't! It's too dangerous."

"Marley." I gasp.

"I know… but if you get shot there's no way you can help your daughter." I know that Joshua is right, as I feel tears rising in my eyes, and let him lead me to the back of the kitchen, I kneel down and hide behind some shelves- if someone comes into the kitchen they won't be able to see me without walking around the wall that's cutting off the cooking part of the kitchen- to the storage room.

My phone vibrates, and that's when I spot it laying on the bench where I was just cutting vegetables. Then- when this was just an ordinary day, and I was preparing for lunch as usual. The phone vibrates again, and salt tears are faster and faster running down my cheeks. Oh God- let it be Marley trying to reach me- Dear God let her be safe.

My phone keeps on vibrating every now and then. I want to stand up, grab it and check if it is Marley. Two things are keeping me from do it, the first is that Joshua is looking at me from between two shelves. He has got his hands joined together and whispers prayers. They're in Spanish, but I understand a few words here and there. I can hear him whisper the names of his wife María and then a bunch of other names. José is the oldest at twenty two, then follows Eduardo, Carmen and Emelina. Then follows the forteen- year- olds, the twins. Pablo and Isabel, I can hear him mention the twins' names, and Emelina's more than once, I know they're all here, Pablo and Isabel are in their Freshman year here at McKinley, Emelina in her senior. Then follows Adelina, Aarón, Manuela the two youngest boys, Celestino and Felipo and at last the very youngest- Chica- or Chiquita- which is her full name. It is just about a month since Joshua came more jumping into the room than walking and told us María had given birth to another baby girl.

I remember my first day at McKinley. And Joshua coming up to me to let me know who he was. "José Delgado, everybody calls me either Joshua or Josh, don't ask me why because I have no idea. Married and father of eleven, twelve in February." It had knocked me off for a moment as I heard myself stutter something that not even I could make into words. Joshua had smirked at me and then laughed at my reaction of all of his children. At last I had put myself together and said.

"Millie Rose, everybody calls me Millie. Divorced since long and mother of one."

Divorced, it had been almost ten years. When someone mentions the words "I am divorced" most people see for themselves loads of fights, and either a big jerk of a guy, or a really needy woman. Or both. But so wasn't ever the case with me and Peter. No drama, we had simply just, fallen longer and longer apart. Until we had at last been at a point that there was no saving or going back for our relationship.

Peter now live in Florida, it isn't that we can't get along, but we barely speak, not Marley or Peter either. Flying tickets are expensive as well as phone- bills if you'd make a call for a place that far away. I can't afford it and Marley knows it without me having to tell her. I don't want her to have to make sacrifices with barely ever speak to her dad- but she know what is going on and makes changes without saying a word about it.

The first reason I don't want to go up and grab the phone is that I wouldn't want to risk Joshua's life with making too much sound, if I would only risk mine it would be one thing. Risking the life of a father of twelve would be a whole other. So much more than I could ever live with causing if something happened to my colleague

The second reason is that- what would I do if it isn't Marley that send me messages? What if it is someone else trying to tell me that Marley needs me because she is hurt or… I can't even think the word. Marley is my whole world, she has been my everything since that day at the OR When she was born, two months too soon- May the eighteenth at just barely three lbs.

Marley was a premature baby and that was one of the reasons I and Peter hadn't had a name yet. And we couldn't get along. Peter wanted something "cool" like Skye or Brooklyn, I wanted something more common and… neutral so to say- like Sarah or Anna. At last we had both got tired of discussing names. Peter had sat down and turned on the radio on low sound.

And that was when we heard the tones of one love by Bob Marley filled the room. It was one of those things that only happens in movies or on TV. I and Peter had looked each other in the eyes and we just knew.

She was Marley. Both I and Peter were big fans of Bob Marley- but that was only a plus, it was unique and cool as Peter said. At the same time as it wasn't too far away from my name or names like Marie or Molly. It was the name of our baby girl- and it was perfect.

BOOM

Another bang echoes through McKinley. I hear Joshua make a sound I never thought I'd hear him exclaim. José "Joshua" Delgado, thirty nine years old and father of twelve whimpers. I hear his prayers getting even more panicked, he mentions Emelina, Isabel and Pablo again. But that's all I can understand. As I put my hands together myself and say silent prayers for my Marley to be safe. As well as me, Joshua and his children.

But the worst part isn't thinking that a father of twelve could get killed today, it isn't the fact that there is no way out of this kitchen, it isn't the fact that a gun man is walking around in McKinley's hallways.

The worst part is knowing that there is no way out of the choir room- and there is where I know my Marley is.

**Marley POV **

BOOM

A gunshot echoes through the halls at McKinley. Mr. Schue silent. Then there's another one, and the sound of people screaming and running footsteps. I gasp for air, and am barely aware of the fact that Mr. Schue tells us to spread and hide. I hide with Jake and the others, I crawl in behind the drums, Kitty sits down next to me, and Jake on the other side of her.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock…_

There's a ticking item standing on the floor in front of all the chairs we sit on during the rehearsal. It goes tick, tock, tick, tock in the exact same rhythm second after second. I don't know what the item's called but the sound we use to get into the right rhythm now seems mostly irritating.

Mum! The thought hits me harder than the train. Is she at work today? I know she was home yesterday because she had a fever- but today? I already know the answer to my question, yet I don't want to lose my hope about the fact that she may have stayed home- and that would mean that she isn't in a building with a gunman walking around.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick tock…. _

I think back to this morning for a few seconds, think through everything mum said before we left this morning. And even though I already knew the answer- the knowledge of the fact that she's here hits me like the train. I pull up my phone from my pocket. I got a text message from her about half an hour ago but hadn't the time to read it. I pray to God that she had decided to go home earlier when I pull up my phone of my pocket.

_Good luck at glee club today Ley. I'll be there to pick you up when it's finished, love you. _

I quickly press answer, I spell out words asking if she's safe, and tell her that I love her. Then I quickly finds my dad's number in the contact and quickly spell out the words.

_There's a gunman at McKinley. Mum is in the kitchen- haven't heard anything from her. Whatever happens I just want you to know that I love you, and I'm sorry I couldn't call more often, Love you loads- Marley _

_Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock…. _

I press "send" and then go on facebook, I write out to all my friends that there's a gunman at McKinley, that if they have got a chance they need to call the police. Then I press send, I turn the notifications off so it won't make a sound just when my phone begins to vibrate with a call. "DAD" it reads over the screen, I want to take it. But I know it would be safer not to and hang up. And press to send him another message.

_Sorry daddy. I need to stay as quiet as possible so can't talk. I love you. –Marley _

_Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock…. _

I text- message mum again, please mum pick up the phone and answer me. Where are you?

Please don't let her be hurt. Dear God let her be alright. I write out on facebook once more that I'm safe for the moment but we need police at McKinley. I have just gotten it out on the wall when my phone beeps with another text- message. Before I see it's from my dad I have a split second of hope that it may be mum. When I see it's from dad I hate to say that I'm disappointed- I just wished so bad that it was mum. Just something to tell me she is safe.

_I understand, I love you too. I'm just checking flights to Lima, I'll take the first possible. –dad _

There are running footsteps heard, we do all flinch of fear when someone grabs the door handle and wrenches it. We hear someone run between the doors, another wrench to the other door handle. Then someone is running away from us. We all flinch and some of us cry out when there's another bang.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock…. _

Sam starts heading towards the door. Explains to Mr. Schue that Brittany is in the bathroom. Sam wants- no he doesn't want to. No one wants to go out in the hallway with a gunman walking around. But he claims that he needs to get to her- make sure that she's safe. Keep her safe- but Mr. Schue forces him down to hiding again.

"Who are you texting?" Kitty asks me, as I'm writing another message to my mum. I make sure I mention how much I love her in every message. If this is the very last text message I send to her I want it to be that I tell her how much I love her.

"It's my mum" I answer her. "There's no way back way out when you're in the kitchen" I try to keep myself from sobbing, I don't want to make one sound too much. It could be my own death. But it's too much, I grimace and gasp as I try as hard as possible not to cry. Jake tries his best to comfort me. I love him, I love this whole glee- club, but I need to know that my mum's safe because for so long she was my everything. Before I can now that she's safe I guess nothing would be good enough no matter how much I would want it to be. And if she is hurt- if she is… I can't even think the word- then I guess nothing will ever be alright again.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock…_

"I don't know why she's not answering." I exclaim- hoping that someone will be able to give me an answer. Maybe another explanation that she is harmed. Maybe fighting for her life- I just want another explanation to hold on to.

"She'll be okay. No one's gonna hurt your mum." Kitty tells me. And I pray to God that she's right. But it isn't enough. Please mum just pick up your phone to tell me that you're safe. "Everyone really likes her." Kitty continues.

I know everyone does, they do everywhere. She's the town joke everywhere we go but- everyone really loves her personality- she's so kind. To everyone, no matter who they are or what they've been saying about her she's so kind. I really hope Kitty's words can be so true it would mean that no one would hurt my mum.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock…. _

"Marley." Kitty suddenly exclaims, I look up to her. "When we were doing Grease I took in all your costumes so that you'd think you were fat." She starts sobbing worse than before and I can see Jake look at her from her other side. He's frowning, I know he would be blaming Kitty for that but I am not like that.

During grease, when I was in the bathroom shoving my fingers down my throat. I told Ryder that I'm going to end up just like my mum. That was because I was referring to her as the town joke. Now I know again that I'm gonna be like her- not for having her genes- but because I want to. And my mum's kind and forgiving. And when I see the regret in Kitty's eyes I can't even be mad at her.

"I'm so sorry." She gasps. I wrap my arms around her as she wraps hers around me. I hug her to let her know that it's alright. It's over, belongs to the past and it doesn't matter anymore. Time to just wave it off and leave it behind to make room for things that does matter.

And what does matter right now is that there's a gun inside McKinley. And there is someone wanting to do harm with it. What matters now is that there is no way out of the kitchen- and that is where my mum is.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock…_

**Millie POV **

It feels like ages I crouch behind those shelves. Like every second is multiple hours long. I can hear Joshua praying, a bit here and there I can hear a word I understand- I am trying to listen. Not to know what he's saying- but to have something to think about that there is a gunman in McKinley and that Marley's here.

Marley! My Marley. Suddenly memories start filling my head. Memories pass by, from sitting with a positive pregnancy test in the bathroom not knowing if I would laugh or cry. To knowing her name was Marley. To a six- year- old Marley dancing in the living room with her dad, to her very first audition for a choir in Junior High School.

And that's when I realize, with every memory- a song is going with them. And it's all the same song, during the time I sat in the bathroom Peter sat in the living room playing at his old guitar and played his favorite song- one love by Bob Marley- all the time until he started worrying why I spent such a long time in the bathroom and came to check if I was alright.

When Peter turned on the radio while we were trying to decide her name it started playing one love by Bob Marley, and that's when we knew her name was Marley. It was beautiful, it was her- it was us and it was perfect.

When Marley was six I and Peter had hit a rough part in our relationship, it was right when we started realizing that there was no longer any going back. When Marley came into the living room and saw us both crying. She knew what to do- she turned her dad's favorite CD on and forced him to dance with her. And the song playing when she finally got him up was one love by Bob Marley.

To first grade in Junior high at eleven years old. Peter and I had been divorced for a long time but he'd move far away from us only last month. We were both devastated over him leaving. As I and Marley moved around a lot he had many times been a few hours driving away from us- but never as far away as now. But Marley claimed that when she heard or sang one love by Bob Marley it felt as she was closer to her dad. And that was the song she made her own for her very first audition.

I think I've known before which song it was- only I didn't realize. Only now when the memories are clearer than ever. As if it actually was happening right now. I wonder why the memories are coming up right now. They're not actually important now. But even though I don't know if I'll ever see her again I make a mental note to myself that if I do I need to tell her this if she's alive.

I'm brought back to reality when a shout echoes through the hallways, then another one, then another one. I flinch- Oh God don't let this be the gunman. I try my hardest to hear the words. And that's when I hear something of the most wonderful I have ever heard in my whole life.

"All clear." I take a deep breath and look to Joshua- he's heard it too and is loosening himself from the shelves he's hidden between. I stand up and rush towards the door- my phone forgotten by the kettle. That's when I hear a loud bang from Joshua's direction and he shouts.

When I turn around I see Joshua trying to loosen his foot- which when he fell have gotten stuck between to shelves, then a loud crack is heard and Joshua screams at the top of his lungs. I have got my hand on the door handle but something is making me realize that Joshua needs me most now. I turn around and rush over to him. His foot is still stuck and pointing in a weird direction, I sit down on my knees and strokes his cheek in an attempt to call him down. He pulls himself up on his elbows and press his jaws together as he tries to twitch his foot roughly away from the shelves.

"Joshua." I lay my hands on his shoulders in another attempt to calm him down but it doesn't work. "Joshua, Joshua, JOSHUA." When I at last shouts his name he calms down for a second and stops twitching. A whimper escapes from his throat- I can barely imagine with- over everything that just happens- how incredibly much pain he must be in. "Calm down, calm down. It's safe now."

"My children…" the pain seems to make him drowsy. Suddenly there is a sound from my phone. It isn't vibrating this time- but I recognize the sound as the sound it makes when it's running out of batteries, I stand up and hurry over to it. While I hope that there will be enough batteries to check who sent me messages during the shooting. But I'm disappointed when the screen keeps black no matter how much I try to wake it.

I lay my phone to the side, as it's burning my arm I suddenly realize the stove is still on, steam is hissing from it so I lift it off the warmth and turn the stove off when I hear voices from the cafeteria. I move as fast as I can out there to find a few cops and Pablo, Isabel and Emelina.

"There is a hurt man in here." I tell before I spot Joshua's children. The cops stops the children from learning before them and then come running through the door. When they give sign that it's safe- which I didn't have the chance to do. The children comes running.

"Padre."

"Padre."

"Padre."

All three the children mention one of the few Spanish words I know, and then run to his side. I can hear them all four sobbing- Joshua worse than ever as he takes them in his arms while a cop is moving away the shelf that is keeping Joshua's foot stuck. Joshua will be okay now- and that's when I walk out of the kitchen, through the cafeteria and down the hall as fast as I can.

The first door I try into the choir room is locked, but I can see they're in there and Ryder Lynn comes and unlocks the door. Further into the room I can see Marley and Jake, they've wrapped their arms around each other and Marley is standing with her back towards me. I open my mouth to call her but before I have the chance to speak up Jake sees me.

"Marley." He exclaims. "Marley your mum." A whimper is raising from Marley's throat as she pulls away from Jake and turns her head. Then another whimper as she sees me and while she rushes towards me the same word over and over again.

"Mum, mum, mum." It takes no more than a few seconds for us to reach each other, but it feels like hours, before I've got her arms around my neck, my arms around her and our chins rested on each other's shoulders. And not until then Marley breaks down. I cradle her like a little child back and forth.

There are loads of good feelings about this moment, my Marley's safe, her friends too, I've got my heart wrapped in my arms. But the best part is there will never be a way out of this love. And this love is all that I'll ever need.

And from somewhere far away, the tones of one love by Bob Marley are heard. I pull Marley even closer, hold her as close as I can to my chest, only to know that she's here. And that she's safe. She holds her arms tighter around me as well, as memories of the song that is heard are flashing before my eyes. From the New born baby, to the four year old, to the eleven year old, and then back to the sixteen year old. With a love stronger than ever I hold her close to me- she's got no way out of my grip now. Because if I could hold her forever- I would never let her go.

**So. I guess it's a bit too fast forward at some parts, but I hope you like it anyway. And yeah, I'm aware of the fact that Joshua and his oldest son's age would have make Joshua like… sixteen when he had his first child. **

**English is not my first language, please review **


End file.
